Self-retrieving safety-buoy for ships.



G. T. BROWN.

SELF RETRIEVING SAFETY BUOY FOR SHI PS. IIIIIIIIIIIIII ED N0v.15, 1912.

1,1 1 3,304. Patented Oct. 13, 1914. 3 EEEEEEEEEEEE 1.

G. T. BROWNw SELF RETRIEVING SAFETY BUOY FOR SHIPS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 15, 1912.

Patented 0ct.13,11914.

3 SHEETS-:HEET 2 THE NORRIS PETERS c0. PHOm-LITHQ, WASHINGTON, u. C.

C. T. BROWN. SELF RETRIEVING SAFETY BUOY FOR SHIPS.

APPLICATION FILED Nov. 15, 1912.

1, 1 1 3 ,304. Patented Oct. '13, 1914.

3 SHEETSSHEET 3.

CHARLES T. BROWN, OF CHIGAGO, ILLINOIS.

, snnr-nn'rnrnvrns sArErY-BuoY FOR snrrs.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented. Oct. 13, 191 1.

Application filed. November 15, 1912. Serial No. 731,561.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHAnLns T. BROWN, a citizen of the United States,,and a resident of the city of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Self-Retrieving Safety-Buoys for Ships; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full,

clear, and exact description of the same, ref erence being had to the accornp anying drawings, and to the numbers of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this Specification.

In most instances where vessels are lost at sea by foundering, where the depth exceeds twenty five fathoms, the valuables, such as may have been stored in the vaults or safes on the vessel, frequently including the ships papers, valuable papers of passengers, including jewels, money, and the like, are irretrievably lost.

I The object of this invention is to afford a self-retrieving safety buoy adapted upon the foundering of a vessel, to free itselftherefrom and rise to the surface, and so constructed as to remain safely afloat until re covered.

It-is a further afiord a self-retrieving buoy, wherein valuables may be stored,-and whereby the same may besaved in the event of foundering.

It is an object of the invention to afiord a device of the class described, so constructed as to be equipped with, illuminating means, whereby it may be discovered as well at night as by day by those searching.

The invention (in a preferred form) is illustrated in the drawings, and hereinafter more fully described.

In the drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly broken away, of a steamship equipped with self-retrieving buoys,-embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a fragmentary section taken through the decks thereof, showing the buoy inplace. Fig. 3 is an enlarged section on line 33 of Fig. 2. 1 ig.

A is an enlarged section on line l4: of Fig' 2. Fig. 5 is an enlarged section on line 55 of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is an enlarged, fragi'nen tary detail illustratlng the automatlc switch.

Fig. 7 is an inner face view of one of the doors. Fig. 8 is a side elevation thereof. Fig. 9 is an enlarged, fragmentary section taken through the door and a part of the side walls on line 9-9 of Fig.7. Fig. 10 is an object of the invention to enlarged, fragmentary section illustrating the construction of the battery compartment.

As shown in the drawings: 1, indicates a steamship equipped with buoys embodying my invention, and indicatedas a whole by 2. As shown, one of said buoys is provided adjacent the forward bridge and extending through several decks 3, 4, and 5, and protruding from the upper deck. Each of said buoys, as shown, is conically tapered from near the top to the bottom and is constructed with air and water-tight inner walls, 7 and an outer wall suitably spaced therefrom, both constructed of sheet steel or other suitable metal and divided at the level of each .deck by a floor 8 and 9, affording individual compartments at each deck level. At each deck level the buoy door 10, is provided, which may either open inwardly or outwardly of the buoy, as preferred, but, as shown, opens outwardly, and is equipped with spring hinges 12, whereby the door is normally held closed.

The door may be of any desired construction, and is equipped with bolts at the sides render the door watertight at said point.-

At'the lower end of said buoy, is a floor 9, equippedwith a door 20, affording a battery compartment therebeneath for the storage battery or accumulator 21, shown in Fig. 10. Securedupon the upper floor 22, which affords the top wall of the up per storage compartment, is a hemispherical or dome shaped top 23, also of a double thickness of sheet vmetal, and having recessed therein at suitable intervals about the side thereof, chambers 24, and concaved casings 25, closed with" a deadlight 26. On the inner'side of each of said casings 25, is a suitablyconnected socket 27, for an electric light. 1 These in the drawings, are shown as four in number, and are wired in any suit able manner for connection with the accumulator, the circuit being equipped With a self-closing switch comprising terminals 28, and a contact member 29, carried upon a stem 30, which is engaged by a spring 31, acting to effect the contact when the stem is released. In the outer wall 7 of the upper buoy near the top thereof, is an aperture, covered with a flexible water-tight membrane or material 32, which may be steel, if preferred, and which normally springs outwardly when the buoy is released, to permit contact to be effected.

Engaged on the upper deck, is a ring or collar 33, adapted to receive the buoy therein, as shown in Figs. 2 and 6, and to support the same in place, as shown, a suitable peripheral projection 35, is provided around the top of the buoy and bearing upon the upper edge of the flange or collar '33, to support the buoy somewhat loosely in the various decks and to prevent wedging. As shown also, life lines 34, are provided in loops in a familiar manner, which may be equipped with floats, if preferred, around the peripheral projection 35. Said peripheral projection 35, as shown in Fig. 3, may comprise outwardly turned flanges on the outer walls of the buoy and its dome top, and also the peripheral projection of the upper deck or floor 22, of the buoy, to which said flanges are riveted through and through.

As shown, a reel 36, is secured upon one of the decks, as shown, the deck directly beneath the lower end of the buoy, and a suflicient length of cable 37, is provided thereon to enable the buoy to serve as an indicating buoy, should the vessel sink at a depth not to exceed that at which retrieving the contents of the vessel might be possible, for example, fifty fathoms. The size of the buoy, however, and buoyancy of the buoy, and the cable is of such size and strength, that should the vessel sink to a depth below that to which retrieving is possible, the cable will be broken by the buoyancy of the buoy, permitting the buoy to float free.

The operation is as follows: The buoys (which, of course, may be of any desired size) are positioned upon the vessel for most convenient access. As shown, one is convenient to the captains quarters and another is positioned farther aft convenient to the pursers quarters, and if desired, they may be made of suflicient size and may be placed where required, for convenience in receiving and storing mails. In the event of the sinking of the vessel, the doors are locked, or if not closed upon their casings, the pressure of the spring and the-pressure of the water would act to close the same. A single whirl of the hand wheel is sufficient to firmly lock ahe doors, and, of course, such buoys are always kept locked. Upon the sinking of the vessel, the buoys float free, if the depth be great, owing to the strength of the cable being insuflicient to pull the buoy under. If remaining attached to the vessel, the location of the vessel may, of course, be known. If floating free, the contents of the buoy are surely recoverable.

The buoys are of such relative size and weight as to be only inconsiderably affected by the difference in weight, and accordingly, whether filled with papers and valuables and with persons clinging to the life lines thereon, or if entirely empty and free, said buoys will always float with substantially all of that portion below the life lines (including the doors) submerged. The storage cells for the electric lights are relatively heavy and hence are placed in the bottom of the buoy to balance the same.

In the event of sudden disaster, or insufficient time to lower boats, the buoy also serves as a life saving means, owing to the hand grips engaged about the same.

Immediately upon the release of the buoy from the deck ring 33, the spring 31, throws the stem 30, outwardly, effecting the contact and illuminating the buoy to permit discovery thereof, at night.

Of course, I have shown but a preferred means of embodying my invention, and I therefore do not purpose limiting the patent granted on this application, otherwise than necessitated by the prior art.

I claim as my invention:

1. The combination with a ship, of a safety buoy mounted therein and extending through and between the different decks thereof, doors in said buoy for giving access thereto at said different decks, and mechanism permitting release of the buoy to float to the surface with the submergence of the ship.

2. In a device of the class described the combination with a ship, of a safety buoy mounted therein and extending through several decks thereof, doors for access into said buoy at the diflerent decks of the ship, illuminating means contained within said buoy, and means lighting the same automatically when said buoy is released from the ship. I

3. The combination with a ship of a life buoy releasably retained thereon, a plurality of water-tight compartments therein each one independently accessible from different portions of said ship, illuminating means mounted in said buoy at different points therein, and means automatically lighting said illuminating means as said buoy is removed from the ship.

4. The combination with a ship of a buoyant receptacle comprising a chambered casing, retaining means on said ship adapted to releasably engage said casing, a plurality of water-tight compartments in said casing 'a plurality of independent illuminating means sealed within the top of said casing at different points, a supporting casing to support said casing when not immersed in water,

and a spring actuated switch adapted to automatically light and maintain the circuit closed of said illuminating means as said casing leaves the supporting means.

6. In a device of the class described a plurality of watertight chambers at different levels, doors affording access to certain of said chambers from different decks of a ship on which said device is mounted, a plurality of lamp chambers sealed within the upper of said watertight chambers, and lamps in said chambers. 7. A combinedlife buoy and safety vault comprising a casing, life lines secured 011 the exterior thereof, a plurality of water-tight compartments at different levels therein, water-tight doors affording access to said compartments, a door for each compartment, and locking means therefor actuatable from the exterior of said casing, said doors adapted to be operated for access from different decks of the ship.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES T. BROWN.

Witnesses LAWRENCE REIBSTEIN, LE ROY D. KILEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

